SCAO Addresses Juvenile Data Integrity Concerns with Record Review

By Laura Hutzel, Statistical Research Director, and
Noah Bradow, Management Analyst

Improving outcomes by measuring performance requires data accuracy. Each year, the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) collects and analyzes case age data from each court.  The information collected shows how courts are performing under established time guidelines.  During annual visits with regional administrators, this data is presented back to the courts along with the performance of other comparative courts.

This sort of comparison naturally has the tendency to spur questions about the performance and data practices in other counties.
 Earlier this year, SCAO heard concerns regarding the various data entry practices in courts and the impact on accurate reporting of case age data for juvenile cases (NA and DL case types).  For these cases, the case age clock should stop upon entry of an initial order of disposition or some other dispositive order, which may occur after the dispositional hearing.  In many cases, the order is entered the same day as the dispositional hearing, but this is not always the case.  Courts have different practices related to when the dispositional order is entered.

In response to this concern, SCAO initiated a juvenile data-integrity review in six counties.  In each of the counties, 10 NA and 10 DL randomly-selected cases were reviewed.  In each file, the register of actions, written orders, and data entry impacting juvenile case age were reviewed for accuracy and SCAO analysts communicated the correct procedures with the courts to ensure future accuracy.  SCAO determined that four of the six courts were using the correct procedure.  One court, in which most orders are issued the same day, committed to changing its procedure and another court was further reviewing its practices. 

If your court would like SCAO to conduct a similar review or has concerns about data quality related to other cases, please contact your regional administrator. 

As SCAO continues to use data to drive performance improvement, we will continue to be responsive to concerns of data accuracy and consistency.  It is important that courts can rely on the data packets and that any comparison is based on similar data practices.  Questions?  Contact Laura Hutzel at hutzell@courts.mi.gov or Noah Bradow at bradown@courts.mi.gov.

Laura Hutzel is the Statistical Research Director for the Michigan Supreme Court and State Court Administrative Office (SCAO).  Since 2004, Ms. Hutzel has managed data collection from trial courts, conducted statistical analyses for various purposes including the Michigan Supreme Court’s annual reports, conducted weighted caseload time studies and analyses, and prepared judicial resources reports.  Laura completed her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies at Miami University and her master’s degree in experimental psychology, with a focus on judgment and decision making, at Ohio University.

Noah Bradow has served as a Management Analyst for the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) since March 2013. He first joined SCAO in the Child Welfare Services Division and moved to Trial Court Services in August 2015. Noah currently provides assistance to Michigan’s courts on juvenile delinquency and child protective issues.  He holds a J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, as well as a B.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University.